What About Cholesterol?
Elevated cholesterol is often handled with a one-line conversation about statins and little else. Sometimes you may get the advice to "work on your lifestyle" but with little direction.
We take a closer look: what's actually driving your numbers, whether the standard panel is telling the whole story, and what your realistic options are relating to medication and/or lifestyle.
We provide a neutral stance making sure you fully understand the nuances of your decision (whatever it is) before you make it.
The Bigger Picture: Cardiovascular Risk
Blood pressure doesn't exist in isolation. It's one signal amoung several that make up your overall cardiovascular risk, alongside cholesterol, inflammation markers, family and obstetric history, and metabolic health. At Kura Clinic, we assess these together rather than treating each number as its own separate problem.
This matters because two people with identical blood pressure readings, or LDL-cholesterol levels, can have very different actual risk, depending on what's happening with the rest of their cardiovascular picture. A plan built around your full risk profile is more useful than one built around a single number.
Sodium matters, but it's rarely the whole story. Blood pressure is affected by inflammation, insulin sensitivity, sleep quality, stress hormones, and, for many women, hormonal shifts through perimenopause and menopause.
A plan that only addresses a single component misses most of the picture and rarely holds up long term.
Why "Just Cut Back on Salt" Isn't a Plan
What Working With Dr. Verge Looks Like
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We look at the full picture. Bloodwork, lifestyle, hormones, family history, medical history, and stress load, together, not in isolation
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We build a plan you can actually follow. Evidence-informed doesn't mean impractical.
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We track progress with you. You'll know what's working and why.
Want More Structure?
Take the Course.
If you've been told you have high blood pressure and to work on your lifestyle, but have no idea where to start - this was made for you!
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Better Blood Pressure is a comprehensive step-by-step paid online course designed to help you understand, track, and manage your blood pressure using real-life, evidence-based strategies you can actually stick with. It's a complete roadmap to exploring your blood pressure with lifestyle.
Get the Free Guide:
Pivot your Blood Pressure
​Before you book, download the free guide covering three dietary habits shown to support healthy blood pressure plus a bonus meal plan.
Meet Dr. Alex Verge,
Naturopathic Doctor
Dr. Verge is a naturopathic doctor based in Guelph, Ontario, with close to 25 years in practice and a specific focus on integrative cardiovascular care for women in midlife. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Guelph and is a graduate of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, registered in both Ontario and Nova Scotia.
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She especially loves helping patients make sense of their heart health with clarity, compassion, and credible evidence-based strategies that work. Dr. Verge's full approach to care.
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In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Verge regularly lectures on integrative cardiovascular care to other healthcare professionals and provides support via clinician consults and referrals.
Blood pressure, cholesterol, inflammation, blood sugar, family and obstetric history. Most people get these treated as separate line items on separate visits, each with its own generic advice. They're not separate. They're pieces of one picture, your actual cardiovascular risk, and treating them together tends to produce a plan that holds up better than treating them one at a time.
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Dr. Alexandra Verge, ND, has spent almost 25 years as a naturopathic doctor, focusing on cardiovascular health, with particular interest in the patterns that show up in midlife women. Whether you're managing high blood pressure, working through a cholesterol result you don't fully understand, or trying to get ahead of a family history you'd rather not repeat, the starting point is the same: understanding what's actually driving your numbers before deciding what to do about them.